Ask any dog lover, and they will confidently tell you that your dog is better trained than anyone else. .
Unfortunately, this may be far from the truth. While it’s normal for dog owners to have the highest and best opinion of their four-legged friends, being well-trained is more than just knowing basic commands or having a polite personality.
Training a puppy is a fundamental skill that takes owners and pets months to perfect. The amount of work you put in will also be reflected in what your dog learns.
That’s why many pet owners opt for expert training. In this article, you’ll learn when to start training your dog and why you should do it.
The Benefits of Puppy Training
You know you’d do anything for your puppy. And since most Americans spend nearly twice as much on pet care today as they did a decade ago, that’s doubly true.
Training centers bring in $373,000 each. So there is no doubt that training is widely accepted as part of a dog’s health and quality of life..
In addition, there are many other benefits to training.
Puppy training benefit 1: You can better communicate with your puppy.
As a dog owner, one of your main goals is establishing a connection and bonding with your puppy. After all, there is a motive why puppies are taken into consideration as man’s first-class friend.
But it all starts with a good bond. The more time you spend with your dog, the more you’ll get to know each other: you’ll get to know your dog’s personality, and he’ll get to know you as a fair and trustworthy leader.
This increases the potential for a trusting relationship between the two of you, which can lead to a lifetime of companionship.
Training your puppy can create a more robust and better bond because it helps you understand his needs more intuitively and vice versa. Obedient dogs pay more attention to their owners, reducing relationship stress.
Teaching your puppy basic commands also opens up a world of possibilities for taking him anywhere. A strong relationship and training allow your dog to feel more confident when interacting with you and his environment.
This gives you more opportunities for adventures and memories together, which is one of the best parts of owning a dog.
Benefit 2 of puppy training: You will have more control and security over your puppy.
A trained dog is obedient; an obedient dog will always respond to commands and react accordingly. Therefore, if your dog is exposed to potentially dangerous situations, you can better protect him by giving him key management, such as “stay” or “come.”
For example, if your dog leaves the backyard and heads for the street, you can successfully call him away from traffic.
Obedience schooling teaches your canine to concentrate on you in those situations. Well-educated and socialized puppies who attend training classes have better obedience, which means they will be easier to train and listen to commands.
Benefit 3 of puppy training: Your puppy will be more social
Enrolling your puppy in training and socialization classes covers obedience. However, group classes also allow your puppy to learn and play with other puppies during each class.
And, while it’s nice to be able to get together to play with friends and other dog owners in the area, ensuring your puppy is socialized correctly is essential to his overall health and well-being.
Dogs that are properly socialized as puppies are less likely to exhibit behavioural problems such as aggression and fear. This results in more positive social behaviours with humans and other dogs.
When to start training puppies
Puppies can begin training as early as seven to eight weeks of age, about when they are ready to move into their new home and family. It is around this age that a puppy can learn basic training cues, such as:
Crate training
their name
potty training
The commands “sit, stay, leash, come.”
The beginning of basic obedience
With positive reinforcement, short training sessions, consistency and patience, your puppy can learn about anything at this young age and even more as he grows. And at a certain age, your puppy can begin to move from basic to advanced skills.
Different ways to train your puppy
When you decide to train your puppy, you have many choices. The most important ones will involve location and method.
Will you enroll your furry friend in group classes or hire a private trainer to visit you at home? Or you plan to research and take the training into your own hands. If so, is it a task you can reasonably devote yourself to?
Here are the pros and cons of all the options available to you for training your puppy (as well as one option that can save you a lot of time, patience and money in the long run).
Option 1: Start training your puppy at home
House training your dog involves setting a specific schedule, being very patient and consistently using positive reinforcement. At home, you can save a lot of money and take charge.
Benefits
Potty training offers excellent flexibility. First, you can save yourself trips to the trainer and spend that extra time with your dog. Also, training sessions can be kept short, which is essential for young puppies.
Finally, potty training helps to establish a healthy relationship between you and your puppy more quickly. The hours you spend each week with your puppy will only cement the relationship and help build that fundamental foundation of trust.
Cons
The hardest part about doing your puppy training is doing enough research and sticking to the schedule. It’s hard to know if you’ll be willing to commit or have time to gain the necessary knowledge before you’re in the thick of the process.
It is not uncommon for professional trainers to consult with other trainers when it comes to their dogs. It can be challenging to go from being a puppy parent to a strict alpha during training. This can lead to frustration, confusion and lack of results.
Option 2: One-on-one training sessions with a handler
Whether the trainer comes to your home or you, come to his, using a professional trainer is one of the easiest ways to ensure your puppy masters specific skills.
Benefits
The trainer will have up-to-date knowledge and certified skills to guarantee your dog’s education and the ability to train in your home or theirs.
Trainers can also help you with problems such as separation anxiety, fear and aggression. Each puppy has a different personality that may require different types of attention and work. A skilled instructor will assist you and your pup with the proper music for a satisfying lifestyle together.
Cons
The main drawback to working with a professional trainer is the cost. Using an expert will be more expensive than doing it yourself. You’ll also need to fit your schedule around the trainer’s availability to ensure your puppy can practice what he’s learning.
Option #3: Puppy training classes with the breeder
If you adopt your puppy from a reputable and trustworthy breeder, a lifetime of companionship awaits.
Breeders strive to keep the puppy’s bloodlines healthy and robust so that health problems are minimized or eliminated as the puppy grows into an adult and, eventually, a senior.
Pros
When you adopt puppies from a breeder, such as Snowy Pines White Labs, it is your responsibility to ensure that the puppies have undergone proper early stimulation practices, such as socialization and conditioning for adoption.
Many breeders offer group classes, which allow for proper socialization between puppies of the same age. Socialization is one of the most important aspects of any dog training program. It is vital to the well-being and development of your puppy, ensuring a healthy attitude into adulthood.
You can bring him home when he is eight and twelve weeks old. But before you get your new puppy home, you can enroll him in basic or advanced training classes. This will ensure that he’s fully prepared to adapt to your family’s lifestyle from the moment he arrives.
Cons
One of the main issues with group training is whether your dog will get along with the other dogs in the class. Older dogs in group training sessions can create a challenging learning environment. As a result, they can become aggressive or fearful when surrounded by large groups of unfamiliar animals.
Fortunately, this is different for puppies around eight weeks old, as their breeder trains them. These youngsters play and learn alongside their siblings and parents, with whom they feel comfortable and familiar.
What is the best training option?
Let’s recap:
Training your puppy alone: This technique can create a solid foundation, but the amount of research and knowledge required can tire anyone out.
Taking your puppy to a trainer: An excellent option for those who want to leave the necessary skills in the hands of an expert can be costly, especially if you choose a highly trained trainer.
Work with expert handlers before adoption: This guarantees trained experts who have known your puppy since birth, ensuring a solid relationship and skill set for when you return home.
While raising a puppy is different for every owner, the best option is to leave the process in the hands of experts you already trust. By working with certified breeders like Snowy Pines, you can benefit from their professional basic and advanced training courses.
Conclusion
You can begin training your puppy around eight weeks of age, as this is the age at which he can start to understand basic skills such as toilet and crate training, his name, and other essential phrases like “sit,” “come,” and “stay.”
Training your puppy doesn’t just help him get through the “early years. It’s also the best way to keep your puppy safe, promote socialization and create a better bond in your relationship.
You can get all these benefits by having your puppy trained in large group classes by experienced trainers like those at Snowy Pines. Breeders who offer training classes can teach your puppy before you even bring him home, as early as seven weeks old.
